Maidenhair fern plant named `Bronze Venus`

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Fern plant named Bronze Venus, characterized by its fronds that are light brown when immature, turning light green as they mature, and darker green when mature giving plants of Bronze Venus a tricolor appearance; symmetrical plant habit; arching plant shape; numerous pinnules, pinnae and fronds that form a dense plant canopy; large, spreading, pedate fronds; long narrow pinnules with finely serrated abaxial margins giving plants of Bronze Venus a feathery appearance; and rapid growth rate.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Fern, botanically known as Adiantum pubescens, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Bronze Venus.

The new cultivar was discovered by me at Fernselect B.V., Aalsmeer, Holland, as a naturally occurring sport or mutation in a population of 50 plants of the species Adiantum pubescens.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by tissue culture propagation at Fernselect B.V., Aalsmeer, Holland, has shown that the unique features of this new Fern are firmly fixed and retained through twelve successive generations of asexual reproduction.

The cultivar Bronze Venus has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity. The following observations, measurements and comparisons describe plants grown in Apopka, Fla., under conditions generally used in commercial practice.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of Bronze Venus. These characteristics in combination distinguish Bronze Venus as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Fronds that are light brown when immature, turning light green as they mature, and darker green when mature giving plants of Bronze Venus a tricolor appearance.

2. Symmetrical plant habit.

3. Arching plant shape.

4. Numerous pinnules, pinnae and fronds that form a dense plant canopy.

5. Large, spreading pedate fronds.

6. Long narrow pinnules with finely serrated abaxial margins giving plants of Bronze Venus a feathery appearance.

7. Rapid growth rate.

Bronze Venus is most similar to its parent cultivar, the species Adiantum pubescens. Bronze Venus differs from the species Adiantum pubescens in the following characteristics:

1. Fronds of Bronze Venus that are intermediate in development are lighter green than fronds of Adiantum pubescens that are intermediate in development. Fronds of Adiantum pubescens that are intermediate in development are the same darker green color as mature fronds. The lighter green color of the intermediate fronds gives plants of Bronze Venus a tricolor appearance compared to the bicolor appearance of plants of Adiantum pubescens.

2. Plants of Bronze Venus are more symmetrical in plant habit than plants of Adiantum pubescens.

3. Fronds of plants of both Bronze Venus and Adiantum pubescens are erect when young. As fronds of plants of Bronze Venus develop, they become more outwardly arching. As fronds of plants of Adiantum pubescens develop, they become pendant.

4. Plants of Bronze Venus are larger than plants of Adiantum pubescens as front length and width of plants of Bronze Venus are greater than the frond length and width of plants of Adiantum pubescens.

5. Fronds of Bronze Venus are more feathery in appearance than fronds of Adiantum pubescens as pinnules of Bronze Venus are longer, narrower and their abaxial margins are more finely serrated than pinnules of Adiantum pubescens.

6. Pinnules of Bronze Venus appear less glossy than pinnules of Adiantum pubescens. Bronze Venus pinnules are sparsely pubescent and Adiantum pubescens pinnules are glabrous.

7. Plants of Bronze Venus have more pinnules per pinna compared to plants of Adiantum pubescens.

8. Pinnule tip shape on plants of Bronze Venus is acute compared to rounded pinnule tip shape on plants of Adiantum pubescens.

9. Pinnule aspect is different, that is, pinnules of plants of Bronze Venus are flat, and pinnules to Adiantum pubescens are cupped upwardly.

10. Pinnule arrangement is different, that is, pinnules of plants of Bronze Venus do not overlap, and pinnules of plants of Adiantum pubescens overlap slightly.

A detailed comparison of Bronze Venus and Adiantum pubescens plants appears in Chart A at the end of the specification.

The accompanying colored photograph illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. The photograph comprises a top perspective view of a typical potted plant of Bronze Venus.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for six typical plants.

Botanical classification: Adiantum pubescens cultivar Bronze Venus.

Parentage: Naturally occurring sport or mutation of the species Adiantum pubescens.

Propagation: By tissue culture.

Rooting habit: Rhizomes are fibrous, well-branched and aggressive. Tissue culture plantlets develop rhizomes within 7 days under warm (80° F.) conditions, and within 10 days under cooler (70° F.) conditions.

Plant Description

A. Plant shape: Triangular (inverted), symmetrical.

B. Growth habit: Erect when young, becoming outwardly arching as fronds develop. Maintains compact size over time. Appropriate for small and large pots.

C. Plant height: 17.5 cm from soil line to top of plant plane.

D. Plant width: 44 cm in diameter.

E. Plant vigor: Moderately high.

F. Frond description:

1. Frond shape/arrangement.--Spreading, pedate, 3 to 5-pinnate.

2. Frond length.--30 cm.

3. Frond width.--17 cm.

4. Quantity of fronds.--Many, moderately dense plant form.

5. Petiole length.--14 cm.

6. Petiole color.--a. Immature: 175A. b. Intermediate: 187A. c. Mature: 202A.

7. Petiole texture.--Rough, pubescent.

G. Pinnae description:

1. Arrangement.--One-pinnate.

2. Shape.--Narrow, lanceolate.

3. Middle pinna (rachis) length.--16 cm.

4. Middle pinna width.--3.5 cm.

5. Rachis color.--a. Immature: 175A. b. Intermediate: 187A. c. Mature: 202A.

H. Pinnule description:

1. Pinnule shape.--Narrow, rhombic.

2. Pinnule length.--16.5 mm.

3. Pinnule width.--7 mm.

4. Quantity of pinnules per middle pinna.--47.

5. Margin.--a. Abaxial: Very finely serrated, feathered. b. Adaxial: Entire.

6. Number of lobes.--Numerous.

7. Pinnule tip.--Shaprly acute, pointed.

8. Pinnule base.--Truncate.

9. Pinnule aspect.--Flat, perpendicular to stem.

10. Pinnule arrangement.--Not overlapping.

11. Pinnule attachment.--Stalked, very small petiole.

12. Pinnule texture.--Slightly rippled, slightly raised venation, sparsely pubescent.

13. Pinnule color.--a. Immature, top side: 174A. b. Immature, under side: 165A. c. Intermediate, top side: 146C to 146B. d. Intermediate, under side: 146C to 146B. e. Mature, top side: Greener than 146A. f. Mature, under side: Greener than 146A.

14. Venation pattern.--Palmate.

I. Sori description:

1. Arrangement.--Marginal.

2. Sori shape.--Rounded.

3. Sori color.--175A.

Disease resistance: No resistance nor susceptibility to pathogens has been noted.

                  CHART A                                                          ______________________________________                                                          BRONZE      ADIANTUM                                          CHARACTERISTIC   VENUS       PUBESCENS                                         ______________________________________                                         PLANT SHAPE      Triangular  Triangular                                                         (inverted)  (inverted)                                                         Symmetrical Not symmetrical                                   GROWTH HABIT     Erect when  Erect when                                                         young       young                                                              Outwardly   Pendant as                                                         arching as  fronds develop                                                     fronds develop                                                PLANT HEIGHT     17.5 cm     15.5 cm                                           PLANT WIDTH      44 cm       29 cm                                             SUITABLE         Pots        Pots                                              CONTAINER(S)                                                                   FROND SHAPE/     Spreading   Spreading                                         ARRANGEMENT      Pedate, 3 to                                                                               Pedate, 3 to                                                       5-pinnate   5-pinnate                                         FROND LENGTH     30 cm       26.5 cm                                           FROND WIDTH      17 cm       11 cm                                             QUANTITY OF FRONDS                                                                              Many,       Many,                                                              moderately  moderately                                                         dense plant form                                                                           dense plant form                                  PETIOLE LENGTH   14 cm       13 cm                                             PETIOLE/RACHIS   175A        175A                                              COLOR, IMMATURE                                                                PETIOLE/RACHIS   187A        187A                                              COLOR, INTERMEDIATE                                                            PETIOLE/RACHIS   202A        202A                                              COLOR, MATURE                                                                  MIDDLE PINNA     16 cm       13.5 cm                                           (RACHIS) LENGTH                                                                MIDDLE PINNA WIDTH                                                                              3.5 cm      2.5 cm                                            PINNULE LENGTH   16.5 mm     11.5 mm                                           PINNULE WIDTH    7 mm        8 mm                                              QUANTITY OF      47          39                                                PINNULES PER MIDDLE                                                            PINNA                                                                          PINNULE MARGIN   Abaxial: Very                                                                              Abaxial:                                                           finely serrated                                                                            Crenate                                                            Adaxial: Entire                                                                            Adaxial: Entire                                   NUMBER OF LOBES  Numerous    Numerous                                          PINNULE TIP      Sharply acute,                                                                             Rounded                                                            pointed                                                       PINNULE BASE     Truncate    Truncate                                          PINNULE ASPECT   Flat        Slightly cupped                                                    Perpendicular                                                                              upward                                                             to stem                                                       PINNULE          Not overlapping                                                                            Overlap slightly                                  ARRANGEMENT                                                                    PINNULE          Stalked,    Stalked,                                          ATTACHMENT       very small  very small                                                         petiole     petiole                                           PINNULE TEXTURE  Slightly    Rippled,                                                           rippled,    prominent                                                          slight raised                                                                              venation                                                           venation    Glabrous                                                           Sparsely                                                                       pubsecent                                                     PINNULE COLOR,   174A        175A                                              IMMATURE, TOP SIDE                                                             PINNULE COLOR,   165A        175A                                              IMMATURE, UNDER                                                                SIDE                                                                           PINNULE COLOR    146C to 146B                                                                               Greener than 146A                                 INTERMEDIATE,                                                                  TOP SIDE                                                                       PINNULE COLOR,   146C TO 146B                                                                               Greener than 146A                                 INTERMEDIATE,                                                                  UNDER SIDE                                                                     PINNULE COLOR,   Greener than 146A                                                                          Greener than 146A                                 MATURE, TOP SIDE                                                               PINNULE COLOR,   Greener than 146A                                                                          Greener than 146A                                 MATURE, UNDER SIDE                                                             ______________________________________                                     

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Fern plant named Bronze Venus, as illustrated and described. 